Clamp member.



0. G. MATTHIAS.

CLAMP MEMBER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9' 1911.

1 1008,6513, Patented Nov. 14,1911.

CHARLES G. MATTHIAS, OF MIL WAUKECE, WISCONSIN.

CLAMP MEMBER.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

Application filed May 9, 1911. Serial No. 626,079.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. MATTHIAS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamp Members; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention refers to hammock fittings, its object being to provide simple, economical and effective means for securely clamping the hammock material against longitudinal play upon its spreader bar, the spreader bar being fitted into a stitched loop of said material.

The invention comprises an eyed, preferably malleable iron, clamp member having semicircular legs provided with cross-head terminals comprising fiat T-shaped feet which are adapted to extend beyond the spreader bar and impinge against the hammock material upon opposite sides, the said feet being thereafter secured together by tie-staples. These clamping devices may be used for the knittles or stay-cords of the hammock and in instances where they are utilized for the stay-cord connections they would be used in pairs while in a case of their being used in connection with knittles there would be a series of said clamping mechanisms.

With the above object in view the invention consists in what is herein shown, de scribed and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a fragmentary plan view of a port-ion of a hammock provided with a spreader bar equipped with a pair of clamping members embodying the features of my invention, one

of said clamping members being in section; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the same as indicated by line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail section through the clamping member feet and hammock material, the section being indicated by line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail side elevation of one of the clamping members showing the legs in their normal spread position with a staple adjusted thereto, and Fig. 5, a detail cross-section of the same as indicated by line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring by characters to the drawings, A represents a section of hammock material provided with a transverse hem B, into which hem is fitted a standard spreader-bar O, the ends of the hem being closed by stitching after the spreader-bar has been inserted therein. When the hammock is subj ected to sagging strain, the tendency of the spread ends that are secured about the spreader-bar is to draw in or full up and even though the hem is closed at its ends, the spreader-bar, due to this strain, will soon break through said ends. To overcome this tendency of the-material to strip upon the spreader bar, I provide clamping members D which are rigidly secured about the spreader-bar and hem of the hammock, as shown in Fig. 1. Each clamping member comprises a shank portion 1 having a recessed throat 2 from which shank and throat extend bowed or circular legs 3, the legs terminating with flat parallel T-shaped feet 4, which feet project beyond the spreader-bar and are adapted to clamp the fabric therebetween. In practice the feet, as shown in Fig. 4, are normally spread apart whereby the clamp can be readily inserted over the spreader-bar and. hem portion of the fabric thereabout. After the clamp is inserted as stated a standard tie-staple 5 is fitted over one of the legs adjacent to its foot portion and by a suitable tool the legs are thereafter contracted to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the staple is incidentally passed through the fabric and its end crimped or lapped over the lower portion of the opposite leg. Thus the clamp is securely adjusted to the spreader-bar and fastened by the tie-staple which causes a gripping engagement of the fabric beyond the spreader-bar.

Extending from the shank portion 1 of each clamping member is an eye 6 for the reception of stay-cords or knittles, the hammock shown in Fig. 1 being provided with a pair of such clamping devices at either end-of said spreader-bar. By this arrangement it will be seen that the clamps can be adjusted in a simple and economical manner and when so adjusted, their feet being tied by the staples, willthus securely grip the hem of the fabric which is interposed between the clamping member legs and spreader-bar whereby any tendency of the fabric to full up or draw incidental to strain is eliminated.

Attention is called to the fact that the shank portion of the clamp is provided with a throat from which the legs spring. This throat constitutes a clearance channel whereby the legs will more effectually grip the hammock fabric about the spreader due to the fact that greater pliability to said legs is thus obtained while at the same-time the throat prevents the material being gripped or clamped at the point of intersection of said legs which, if effected, would tend to choke or block the legs from gripping the fabric therebetween at points diametrically opposite and midway of said legs.

I claim:

In a hammock having a transversely disposed spreader bar incased in the hammock fabric; the combination of clamping memhers fitted over the fabric incased spreaderlegs extending from the shank portion in bar transversely of its length, each clamping member comprising a shank portion having a stay-cord receivlng-eye projecting therefrom in one direction and a pair of bowed I i the opposite direction adapted to clamp the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' T-shaped feet and said bar.

Inv testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. G. MATTHIAS.

Witnesses:

MAY DOWNEY, Geo. W. YOUNG.

Washington, D. C.

fabric-incased spreader-bar transversely, 20 

